20 Most Popular Toy Story Characters Of All Time Ranked

The unstoppable "Toy Story" franchise helped bring forth a revolution in animation, kicking off a seismic shift from traditionally hand-drawn animation into the world of computer-generated imagery. The movies have also been massively successful at the box office, with "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4" each earning over a billion dollars worldwide while both winning the Academy Award for best animated feature. There's also a number of short specials, "Toy Story" rides at the Disney theme parks, and an endless swathe of awesome merchandise.

The real reason "Toy Story" has endlessly endured since its debut back in 1995 is hidden in its phenomenal cast of characters. Some appear for just a few moments, while others are front and center for all four films. While dozens of characters have made an impression, we're here to decide which "Toy Story" characters are the very best, narrowing it down to just twenty. Without further ado, here are the 20 most popular "Toy Story" characters of all time ranked.

"Yes, I Canada!"

He's handsome, he's confident, and he's extremely Canadian –- he's Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves). His glorious facial hair and the red-and-white daredevil outfit are every bit as magnificent as the sleek maple leaf-clad motorcycle he rides on. However, like just about every new character introduced in "Toy Story 4," he comes with a pretty tragic backstory. He harbors some serious self-doubt as his child lost interest in him when he discovered he couldn't jump like the Duke Caboom from the commercials could. That problem has resulted in a lifetime of second-guessing, and all Caboom feels like he can do successfully is crash –- no wonder he winds up in the antique store.

The hilarious and heartbreaking daredevil struggles mightily but ends up embracing his failures, thanks to a great pep talk from Bo Peep (Annie Potts), who assures him that crashing is what makes him special. Regaining his confidence, he crashes in absolutely spectacular fashion, launching himself forty feet over the amusement park to achieve his goal. The character is brilliantly designed, perfectly voiced by Reeves, and also provides a fantastic message for kids — your failures do not define you, they only make you stronger.

The menacing Emperor Zurg (Andrew Stanton) may not have much screen time in "Toy Story 2," but he certainly makes his impact known. At the beginning of the film, he has an epic face-off with Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and successfully defeats him, vaporizing Buzz's entire upper half. Thankfully for fans, a "GAME OVER" message flashes on the screen, and it turns out it is just Rex (Wallace Shawn) playing a video game.

Later in the film, a real-life Zurg emerges from Al's Toy Barn and sets out to vanquish Buzz. We get another fantastic action set-piece between the two, this time in an elevator shaft, as the pair duels yet again. Zurg has the upper hand, continually bashing Buzz into a wall before throwing him down. Zurg feels like he's strongly inspired by legendary Star Wars villain Darth Vader, which is all but confirmed when Buzz says, "I'll never give in. You killed my father!" To which Zurg reveals:

"No, Buzz. I am your father."

It's all an unmistakably glorious parody of the pivotal scene in "The Empire Strikes Back," right down to the shout of "No!" and an epic fall down the elevator shaft. Thankfully, Zurg doesn't meet a gruesome end and is instead soon seen playing catch with a different Buzz Lightyear toy, making it a happy ending for this epic villain.

When we first meet Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) in "Toy Story 4," she seems downright villainous, being carried through the creepy antique store by her assistant Benson (Steve Purcell). It appears she has some sinister plans for Woody, and it turns out those suspicions are correct, as Gabby Gabby is after Woody's functional voice box since hers is broken. It doesn't take long to get to the heart of why she wants, or indeed needs, Woody's voicebox: she has never experienced the love of a child and believes that her faulty voice is the reason no child has ever taken her home.

The character has the reverse trajectory of Stinky Pete, going from an antagonist to a helpful supporting character, and she plays a crucial role in some emotional scenes. Woody voluntarily gives Gabby his voicebox in a move that signals a big development for the cowboy, and it allows for Gabby's many decades of solitude to finally come to an end. Except, for this character we've grown to sympathize with deeply over the course of the film, it's not that easy, and she's coldly rejected by the child of her dreams, Harmony (Lila Sage Bromley). 

Gabby deserves her spot here for delivering some seriously heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, and eventually, she finally gets the love she's been waiting for her whole life.

A character that doesn't need to utter a single word to be beloved, Bullseye is introduced in "Toy Story 2" as part of "Woody's Roundup." Bullseye is a horse and Woody's loyal steed and has a strong relationship with Jessie as the two spent years together in Al's apartment. Because Bullseye never speaks, his feelings are all conveyed physically, and thanks to some genius character design, you never have to second guess what Bullseye is going through.

It seems like Bullseye has the biggest eyes of anybody, which allows his emotions to come through boldly. This is seen very clearly when unmistakable disappointment flashes in his eyes after Woody tells the gang he's going to escape the apartment as soon as his arm is fixed. He's steadfast in his determination to help those who need him, and his selflessness comes in handy many times, and without Bullseye, Woody would have never been saved in "Toy Story 2." You can always rely on Bullseye to be there for you, and he'll take you where you need to go with a smile on his face, more than earning his placement on our list.

Like all good dogs, Slinky Dog (Jim Varney) is incredibly loyal. He's deeply devoted to Woody and is always the first person to come to his defense. Even when it appears that Woody pushed Buzz out of the window in "Toy Story," Slinky remains steadfast in his determination that Woody is innocent even though everyone else jumps to attack Woody. When Slinky discovers that Woody is guilty, he's the last one to walk away, giving puppy dog eyes for the ages as he closes the blinds. 

When the toys eventually realize that Woody didn't kill Buzz (in Slinky's defense, the evidence was pretty overwhelming), Slinky is thrilled to see his beloved friend is innocent after all. Slinky's gravelly southern drawl stands apart from the rest of the crowd, thanks to Varney's soulful performance. That voice remained every bit as charming when Varney was replaced after his death by Blake Clark in 2010, albeit in a reduced role.

Slinky's impact stretches beyond the films themselves. He has an attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, the Slinky Dog Dash, where parkgoers can hop on Slinky's back for a lovely rollercoaster ride.

The wisecracking piggy bank, Hamm (John Ratzenberger) is one of the straight-up funniest characters in the world of Toy Story. He takes pleasure in antagonizing his friends. In the first film, when Hamm sees Buzz has a laser, he says pointedly, "How come you don't have a laser, Woody?" In "Toy Story 2," he's quite the paramour, and while everyone else is stunned by the Barbies in Al's Toy Barn, Hamm confidently asks them for directions and moves Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) aside, saying, "make room for the single fellas."

Hamm really gets to ham it up (pardon the pun) in the opening of "Toy Story 3," where he plays Dr. Evil Porkchop in the film's exquisite opening sequence. He revels in his temporary villainy by wearing a mischievous black eye patch, working it like he's on a fashion runway, and arriving in an enormous ship shaped like him. Without hesitation, he drops a massive barrel of monkeys and prepares to shoot an enormous laser to destroy our beloved Woody, Jessie, and Buzz. It's a good thing the scene takes place in Andy's imagination because if Hamm ever became a real villain, the toys might be in some serious trouble.

Going from the cruelest character to the funniest, Mr. Potato Head is the franchises' comedic icon. Voiced by the legendary insult comic Don Rickles, who The New York Times called "comedy's equal opportunity offender," Potato Head was quick to snap at anyone and everyone. However, he is so hysterical when on the attack that he never feels villainous, instead making himself a vital part of the story's fabric. Just enjoy some of his best lines:

"You uncultured swine! What are you looking at, ya hockey puck?"

"We're not preschool toys, Slink, we can read!"

"Well, that mistake is sitting in your spot, Woody."

Even while Potato Head is shredding his friends with his cutting observations, you can't help but love him. He somehow manages to get even funnier when Mrs. Potato Head (Estelle Harris) is introduced, resulting in one of the most gut-busting moments in the franchise's history. In "Toy Story 2," Mr. Potato Head looks down while seated next to Tour Guide Barbie, repeating, "I'm a married spud." 

Rickles had such a command over the character that it was impossible to replace him after his death. Amazingly, since there were so many recordings of Rickle's in character, Entertainment Weekly reports that Pixar was able to use already recorded lines to honor the comedian's legacy and keep him in "Toy Story 4" without replacing the actor.

Without Andy, "Toy Story" as we know it may not exist. The first three films in the series all hinge on the relationship between Andy, the toys, and the indescribable happiness they experience when they all play together. For a character so essential to the way "Toy Story" works, he's not seen that often, as the toys cannot be sentient when Andy is around. In the first couple of films, he's a young child who wants nothing more than to play with his beloved toys, but none more than his best friend, Woody.

"Toy Story 3" is the film that cements Andy as such a fantastic character. The film takes place many years after the second, and Andy is preparing to go away to college. He's not sure what to do with the toys that were so vital to his childhood, but he ultimately makes the tough decision to give them all to Bonnie. In a heartbreaking and sublime sequence, Andy introduces each toy to Bonnie, and you can feel the love and passion he has for every single one of them. He plays with Bonnie and the toys one last time, and it's a beautiful moment that speaks to Pixar's sensational ability to tug at your heartstrings like no other studio. 

As Andy drives away for the last time, holding back tears, Woody, sitting with his friends on Bonnie's porch, utters "So long, partner," marking Andy's departure from the toys and our lives.

Possessing the most memorable line in all of "Toy Story" –- that's "To infinity, and beyond," of course –- Buzz Lightyear is next on our list. Buzz has so many iconic moments, taking hold of audiences right from his fantastic introduction, complete with echoes of "2001: A Space Odyssey." 

Buzz has an unshakable confidence that rattles Woody and amazes everyone else, though Buzz has a rare and emotional setback when he realizes Woody was right, and he really is a toy. Buzz isn't often thought of as one of the funnier "Toy Story" characters, but his deadpan delivery is often hilarious, and his role as Spanish Buzz in "Toy Story 3" was a joy to behold. Though he may not be a real-life space ranger, he manages to find love with Jessie, which is one of the series' more delightful developments.

Buzz is a pretty magnificent character and is such a big deal that he's starring in his very own Pixar film, "Lightyear," which is a spinoff that explores the origins of the character. He's also got his own animated series from the early 2000s in "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" and an endless array of merchandise that more than proves the character's endless appeal. He may not be able to fly, but he sure can fall with style.

It all comes down to Woody, the main character of every single "Toy Story" movie. It couldn't be anyone else but Woody at the top, as every film sends Woody on a unique emotional journey and remarkable physical adventure. Through a ton of incredible moments, Woody experiences more development than any other character, which is why Woody is adored the world over.

When Buzz Lightyear first enters Andy's room, Woody is terrified and uses his fear as a weapon to try to take down Buzz so he can remain as Andy's undisputed favorite. Over time his cruelty fades as Woody realizes it's not the right thing to do, and throughout the four films, Woody is unquestionably the gang's moral compass. They look to him for guidance in almost every situation, which is what makes him their unshakable leader.

His incredible journey comes to an emotional yet satisfying conclusion in "Toy Story 4," when Woody makes the incredibly tough choice to leave his friends behind for a new start at life with Bo Peep and the lost toys. For the first three films, Woody has been terrified of being left alone, with nobody there to play with him. Both his beloved owners, Andy and Bonnie, have moved on from him, but Woody manages the most challenging feat of all –- finding value in yourself and not solely in how you relate to others. 

Woody's decision perfectly crystalizes his character development and cements his place as the greatest character in "Toy Story." After all, he's the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west.